Anthony and Black backcourt will give Magic underrated boost off the bench

There are unknowns with the starting backcourt of Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Magic know the team will have one of the best defensive backcourts in the NBA. The question surface on the offensive end of the floor. Orlando decided to double down on Suggs being the team's starting point guard.

However, there is still a question of how much responsibility Suggs will have and what ability he will show as the lead guard. Caldwell-Pope on the other hand, had a set role in Denver but may need to do more in Orlando. He may have to be a secondary creator, and volume as a shooter will have to increase.

There are not many questions coming off the bench.

The Magic’s Cole Anthony and Anthony Black both offer unique skill sets that complement each other and will be important off the bench.

Cole Anthony is a strong scorer and shot creator, and he has shown flashes of his ability to make plays for his teammates. Anthony averaged 11.6 points per game on 43.5 percent shooting from the field and 33.8 percent from three. He had an inconsistent season after a strong start, averaging 15 points in October and 15.7 points per game in November on better efficiency.

Anthony admitted that there were off-the-court issues that were affecting him during games last season. That might have had some real influence on his efficiency as a scorer. Going into the next season, the Magic are looking for Cole Anthony to be both efficient and effective as the head of the second unit.

Anthony does not hide his heart and effort and it shows on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he has limitations due to his size, but the effort is always there—as is expected from everyone in a Magic uniform. Anthony will fight over screens and has been part of the Magic's top-rated defense.

Anthony Black's flashes from last season will be the key to putting together the backup unit.

Anthony Black's defensive versatility will be important to the pairing with Cole Anthony. Standing at 6'7, Black showed the ability to guard one through three and guard both off and on the ball. His stats won't jump off the page due to his limited minutes, but his advanced stats give a glimpse of the defender he can become. He had a defensive rating of 108.9 and 1.5 defensive win shares last season.

Black embodies the defensive culture the Magic have in place.

The offensive end of the court raises more question marks for Black. He did shoot 39.4 percent from three but on a limited number of attempts per game. Black's shooting will be key for the bench unit to be dangerous and be able to spread the floor.

Black's size will allow him to get to the rim and create shots for teammates. After all, he played point guard in college. He just didn't get many opportunities to play and show those skills last season. Still, Black showed flashes of being able to make difficult passes and also displayed the willingness to make passes and take chances to create for his teammates. His growth as a playmaker will be a key factor in the Magic’s quest for offensive improvement.

Anthony and Black should be a great fit as the backup guards

Together, Black and Anthony could form an impactful backcourt for the Magic. Black will be able to guard the better offensive player on the opposing team and hide Anthony’s deficiencies on that end of the floor.

On the offensive end of the floor, the two different play styles should complement each other well. Cole Anthony's scoring ability will allow for Black to get open threes and spacing for Black to get to the rim. Black's play-making ability will take some of the load off of Cole to allow him to be the scorer off the bench the Magic need.

The Magic's starting backcourt is full of question marks, but the backup unit of Cole Anthony and Anthony Black will offer versatility and balance Orlando's bench needs.